Geoege e



UNITED STATES GEORGE E. HARRIS, OF VIRGINIA, ILLINOIS.

SHARPENlNG-STONE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 290,579, dated December 18, 1883,

' Application filed October 1, 1883. (Specimens) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States, resident at Virginia, in the county of Cass and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sharpening-Stones; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which IO it appertains to make and use the same.

.This invention has relation to improvements in sharpening-stones; and it consists of a mixture of red, White, blue, and yellow clays, pressed and burned, as hereinafter set forth,

I 5 and particularly pointed out in the claim appended.

The object is to produce hones, Whetstones, grindstones, marble and metal polishers from different kinds of clay from which the gravel has been separated. The sharpening-stone is produced by grinding the clays and pressing them into molds of the required shape to produce the article before it is burned in the kiln or furnace. The clays used are red clay, white clay, blue clay, and yellow clay, all of which contain grits which are developed by burning at certain temperatures. These clays are found in Cass county, Illinois, in great abund ance. They have no local names, so far as I am advised, but are distinguished by their colors only. It is believed that earths possessing the same characteristics may be found in many localities in the United States and elsewhere, and, provided there be no extraor- 3 5 dinaryinfusion of metallic substances to create shades of color by oxidation or otherwise,

all clays that have the colors mentioned will subserve the purpose. Onefourth part of each four clays is used in mixing the compound. After being ground and pressed into 40 the molds, the articles are placed in the furnace and subjected at first to a low heat, which, is afterward increased to a white heat, and maintained at this temperature for a period of twenty-four hours. The lower the heat the softer will be the finished article. The higher heat produces the razor-bones and the harder articles,

By this means I produce an article that, used with or without oil or water, will polish and sharpen articles without taking the temper out of them. This polishing article can be made at a trifling cost. Steam-power, handpower, or horse-power may be employed inits manufacture.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The pressed and burned sharpening-stones, consisting of a mixture, substantially as speci- 6o, fied, of red, white, blue, and yellow clays, such as are described, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEO. E. HARRIS.

Witnesses:

E. T. OLIVER, E. D. O. WooDWAnn. 

